Huff/Post 40. Not.

The Huffington Post announced it would be launching a new site aimed at Baby Boomers, called “Huff/Post 40.” The site will be edited by Rita Wilson, wife of Tom Hanks. Rita seems like a nice enough person. She and Tom have been married since 1988, which, in Hollywood, translates to approximately 161 years.

At 54,Wilson is exactly the age of the average Boomer, so in that area, she is qualified. In the world of journalism, not so much. Meaning nothing. But she is said to be going on Twitter and asking people what they want to read about. So we know she isn’t averse to doing deep research.

But what about the name that Wilson and Huffington agreed on? “Huff/Post 40.” Herein lies the real problem. Boomers were born 1946-1964,thereby making the very youngest Boomer 46. The average age of Boomers is mid-50s. Not to be splitting hairs here, (although splitting hairs is an honorable pastime), Boomers have worked really hard to get born during the exact time frame necessary in order to have been impacted by the 60s and early 70s, which, as everyone knows, was when human civilization reached its peak. A 40 year old, born in 1971, missed out on this entirely. Allowing anyone age 40-45 to call themselves a Boomer is sort of like referring to a leech collector during the Middle Ages as a Physician Assistant.

“Issues related to being over forty have always intrigued me,” Wilson said in a press release. “My mom and dad always used to say, ‘Life begins at forty.’ The idea that we boomers are somehow supposed to wind things down as we get older has completely escaped me.”

Let’s examine this statement. No, let’s disect this statement until we get bored and go on to something else. “My mom and dad used to always say ‘Life begins at 40:’ This is intriguing, since before that phrase was invented, the common phrase was ‘Death begins at 40.’

And when did age 40 mean “winding down?” Age 60, maybe. Age 50, in a real stretch. Age 40? Most 40 year olds have kids at home, are approaching the peak of their earning potential, and are still strying to come to terms with getting dumped in junior high. They have a lot more to do than think about anything as pesky as “winding down.” And a certain percentage of them, the ones a bit slow to mature, are still living in their parents’ basements, playing “Angry Birds.”

With all due respect to Rita Wilson and with a special nod to Tom Hanks, who has nothing to do with this piece but seems like possibly the most likeable person on the planet next to Ellen Degeneres and baby animals, we all wish her and the Huffington Post the best in their new venture. We just wish it were called “Huff/Post 50 But Looks Like 40.” That would be a win-win.

Hmm, so at 40 you can start to “wind down”? Good to know. I’ll get right on it. Nevermind that I’ve got two young kids and a baby to take care of most days, I’m going back to college again next year so I can get back into the work force and my old junior high crush still haunts me, so this is great news.

The whole thing about 40 is a joke. Nowadays, a lot of people are still changing diapers at that age (not their own). As for the jr high crush, you are on your own with that one. I am still getting over my unrequited love experience from age 15. Sob.

Okay, I’m not officially a Boomer (although my sister is), but I have noticed that, for whatever reason, 40 seems to be the age that others claim is the end of the world as we know it–especially for women. I refuse to believe that. My world is currently being reinvented, and definitely not ending.

I suspect Huff/Post40 was an intentional brand decision, playing off the demographics of a generation that chooses not to let numbers define the aging process.

I didn’t flinch at turning 30. Turning 40 kind of stung a bit. Fifty is a couple of years away and somehow bugs the bejeesus out of me already. I will be completely honest in saying that I am already horrified at the thought of that 4 in the 10s place clicking over to a 5, but it helps to be around those who make it cool and fun and not so horrible. Y’know, people like you.

Thanks, Hippie. Listen, 50 was a hoot, 60 even better. Of course I hate that some of my body parts are all relocating for points south, and that brain cells are sleeping on the job. But the upside is amazing. I’m more “me” than I have ever been in my life and I love me.

By now, I should know better than to copy a sentence early on one of your entries for singling out as especially funny. It’s all funny–and, as Ba.D. frequently tells me (probably borrowing the sentiment from a latter day Physician Assistant), “It’s funny because it’s true!”

I just talked to my sister because now I’m disturbed by this! She’s 13 years older than me and definitely not a boomer, but not an xer either. There’s a lost generation in there somewhere, I’m convinced.

My mother a noted pessimist (we called her Cassandra, look it up), always said “Life begins at forty………to deteriorate”. except she said deteriate, she was always economical with vowels but then she was a product of the previous generation which went through the Great Depression and spent the rest of their lives saving string.

Clearly the notion of Boomer is ever-evolving–just like 50 is the new 40–but even that argument doesn’t work. Rita Wilson may not be doing deep research on Twitter, but apparently she can’t count either!
Kathy

Too funny … and thanks for this. I just don’t get what it is about 40 that bothers people so, My brother’s wife hit 40 a few weeks before I did and was devastated. She couldn’t understand why it didn’t phase me at all. My response to her was “It’s just a number that some in society consider “bad” … I don’t feel 40, I don’t look 40, and I don’t act 40, so why should I be their definition of 40?” She still didn’t get it. I think I’m in trouble in a couple of years when I hit 50 though … when hubby turned 50 I teased him mercilessly about being a ‘half century’. Oooops … pretty sure payback will be a bitch.

42 was, for some idiotic reason, a real trauma for me (I tend to be slow on the uptake). Then, one of my closest friends died just before our 47th birthdays. That took my notion of aging and obliterated it forever. Now I celebrate each year, because I’m living for both of us. Bring it on!

Just have to say if I’m a boomer, my mother is a double sonic boomer. At 85 she is almost twice the age of a boomer. She is officially retired however, will still be supervising student teachers in the fall, is still gorgeous, keeps up with the trends, dresses like a clothes horse, loves Ellen, call us when we don’t call her, drives every where…even at night. Stop.

Hi Renee, I’m 50 and most assuredly do NOT consider myself a boomer. Considering I was 9 years old during Woodstock I would think I don’t qualify for Boomerdom. We who were born in the early 60s got screwed out of having a nifty moniker like Generation Whatever. Maybe we should been called the post-Sputniks or Space Race Babies.

BTW, I have started a new blog at http://www.changesinlongitude.com/ My authentic Boomer wife (she’s older) and I are taking off a year to travel around the world. We will chronicle the journey and provide advice for others hoping to do some long-term travel. Hope you can link to it. Thanks!

Here Here! or is it? Hear, hear? I forget as I’m winding down. How condescending a comment is that, really?
I’m with you and all against this whole Rita bit…unless I can push my way in there with her? Think she’s hiring?

I read this post yesterday and it stuck with me through today. Ok, so I’m not a Boomer but I’m 40ish and “winding down” is just not in my vocabulary. That’s insane. I find that most women in their 40’s are just beginning to figure out who they are and what they want to do with their lives. My expectations are that it all comes together in our 50’s…it becomes about us!

I know I wished you a Happy Birthday before, but here goes again: HAPPY 50TH! Here’s to all the adventures ahead! Hey, I went to a Dylan concert in Seattle last year (my first time seeing him in concert). The average age of the audience was at least 60.

Thanks, Renee…concerts are usually okay. It’s nightclubs which cater exclusively to the Gen X’ers and Y’ers that bug me. Some of us old farts like to dance too, but we don’t usually drink our faces off, or want to wake up deaf in the morning from the music!

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